Travel. Learn. Teach. Write

Everyday Inspiration

The University of Nottingham has several campuses in the area, as well as extensions in Malaysia and China. Park Campus is the main one, founded in 1798 as a Teacher’s Training College and is a mixture of the old and new.

Jubilee, my campus, is where education and research reside and was opened in 1999. The architecture is modern and the blue print is well-planned. You can tell it did not grow organically from its efficient flow, excellent sight lines, numerous green spaces, and juxtaposition of buildings.

There are other campuses in Nottingham, too, for medicine, business, vet school, and biosciences.

Here’s a map of some of the local Nottingham campuses:

Here is a photo overview of the Jubilee Campus:

The top photo is the pond, which runs along side my building. The swans (left) were right outside my office door on Saturday. I work in The Dearing Building (center) – housing both teaching and edu research. The fountain keeps the water moving and there are large carp swimming slowly around, seeking insects.

Notice how some of the building might be inspired by everyday objects.

For instance, the red centerpiece sculpture (above) reminds me of an ice cream holder (left). If you’d like to purchase one, go to webstaurantstore.com for a variety of metal sculpture pieces for £4 to £8 (albeit, MUCH smaller than the one on my campus)

A building, currently under construction, reminds me of an item from the construction industry.

Now each day when I cross the canal onto the campus, I’m reminded of the lodge at my aunt’s summer home and I smile. Don’t you think the above building was inspired by this roofing ventilator from Classic Fibreglass Co. a roofing industry supplier….

The last building I have a couple of ideas, but I haven’t found the perfect one. What do you think was the inspiration for this building, which is built into the ground and is eco-friendly. Sadly, the first building burned to the ground, just before its slated opening. You can read about the devastating fire here, as well as see a great architectural rendering of the design. I love how it flows into the ground and the curves of the trusses.

The Front of the new Chemistry Lab.

I hope you’ve enjoyed a little tour of my new campus. While I love the original University of Nottingham campus (It’s main building graces my header), the quirky Jubilee campus has won my heart.